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In her fourth straight Olympic appearance, Hidilyn Diaz is dead set on winning the country’s first gold medal.

The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist officially qualified for the quadrennial meet after participating in the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

Although Diaz’s road to Tokyo 2020 got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic – which left her stranded in Malaysia and then hindered her from joining her sixth and final Olympic qualifier – she’s now back on track.

The 30-year-old weightlifter has never been more optimistic and motivated to become the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist as she now has Team Hidilyn Diaz (Team HD) behind her this year. – Rappler.com